Cotton-picker.



PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

N. M. HENDERSON.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-.13.19oe.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Stro-umido No. 841,687. PATENTBD JAN. 22, 1907.

. kN. M. HENDERSON. v

COTTON PICKER. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.`13.1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WVM/Lame@ @J2 ([6.2"6'011 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEETGE.

NATHANIEL M. HENDERSON, OF HENDERSON, NORTH .CAROLINA COTTON-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 13, 1906.' Serial No. 334.527.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

TQ all whom, it 'Wtay concern,.-

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL M. HEN- DERSON, 'a citizen of the United States, residing at Henderson', in the county of Vance and State of North Carolina, haveinvented cer. tain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Pickers and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of vthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cotton-picking machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical machine of this characterwhich may be driven by suitable. power over oneor more rows/of cotton and will pick the cotton from the plants by suction and discharge it into sacks or other receptacles.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter de-` improvements in scribed and claimed.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved cotton-picking machine. Fig. 2 is a bottom lan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical ongitudinal section.. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the plane indicated'by the line 4 4 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the front end of the draft-tongue,

showing the breast-pole and cords depending therefrom. v l

The improved cotton-picking machine corn-r prises a wheeled vsupportin frame or'body 1,? which may beV of any suita le form and con-l struction, but which is here shown as-a wagon: having a high platform 2, mounted-upon front and rear supporting-wheels 3, journaled on axles 4' 5, which may be arched, if desired, the front pne, 4, being pivoted by the usual king-bolt 6 and having a draft tongue or pole 7 connected to it. The wagon may be of any, desired width, so 'as 'to straddleone or more rows of cotton.

While lthe machine is preferably drawn throughsa cotton-field by draft-animals attached to the tongue 7 in the usual manner,

it will be understood that the machine may power.

Provided upon the top of the platform 2 of the wagon is a longitudinally-extending cas- '9 and theirlower ends being other suitable motor mounted upon the platform 2. 4 1

lOpening into the longitudinallyLeXten/ding vacuum or suction chamber 9 are a pluralityA of nipples 16, which extend through the platform 2 and have suitably secured upontheir Vlower projecting ends iiexible suction-tubes .17, constructed, preferably, of rubber. These tubes` have suitably secured in their lower ends metal yfunnels 18, into which the cotton is sucked or ldrawn by the suction created'in the`tubes and the chamber 9. Any number of the depending tubes 17 may be provided, andthey may be arranged in any suitable manner, so that they will reach all of the cotton upon the plants over which the machine passes. They are of unequal length, so that some will travel'over the tops of the plants and, others work through the middle and' lower portions'of the lants.

. -f In order to. more e ectively gather the cot- 4ton along the sides of the plants, I preferably employ', two or more laterally swinging frames 19, upon which one or more tubes 20 of rubber, metal, or other flexible material are secured. These vtubes are similar to the tubes 17, their upper yends being connected to nipples opening into the chamber rovided with funnels 2,1, the mouths of w 'ch open inwardly instead of forwardly, as do the funi nels 1 8. The tubes 2O are somewhat longer than the tubes 17 and are connected. by platesor cleats 23 to the lower bent portions 22 of the frames 19. I f desired, the tubes 2O may be connected at two or more points upon the frames 19 instead of only to their lower portions 22, as illustrated. Each of these frames 19 consists of one of the bent portions 22A and two lparallel arms 22, which latter have their upper ends loosely pivoted in staples or other suitable bearings 26, provided upon the bottom of the platform 2, and their lower ends pivoted at -26al to the ends of the bent portion 22. This construc- IOS tion permits the frames 19 to be swung or oscillated transversely and at the same time swing longitudinally when they strike stones or other obstructions.

The two arms or portions 22a are connected by rods 27, which latter have connected to their centers pitman-rods 28. These rods 28 havel their inner ends pivoted upon a crank-pin 29 on a disk 30, which is secured on one end of a shaft 31, mounted in suitable bearings on the bottom of the latform 2. Upon the opposite end of the s aft 31 is 4a pulle 32, .which is connected by a belt 33 to a pul e 34 upon oneend of the fan-shaft 12, said be t extending through a suitable slot in the platform 2. It will thus be seen that When'the engine 15 is in Vmotion and the fan 12 driven the shaft 31k will be rotated and will impart its motion t the two frames 19,

which will be swung laterally to move the funnels 21 on the tubes 20 into and out of the sides of the cotton-plants.

While but two of the tubes 20 are shown upon each of said framesit Will be understood that any number maybe provided, and they may be arranged' in any suitable manner. The cotton as it is sucked up through thehtubes 17 and 2,0 and into the chamber 9 is forced rearwardly by the fan 12 and out through a discharge-spout 35, arr'anged at the-rear end of the casing 8. Suitable clips or fastening devices 36 .are provided on thisv lspout for holding the open mouth of a bag or sack 37 thereon. The cotton is discharged into this sack, which has its bottom supported upon a frame 38, projecting from the rear axle 5, and consisting, preferably, of metalrods, asclearly shown in f order to prevent d' leaves, trash, and the like from being sucke into the tunnels 18 21, together with the cotton, I arrange uponthe `front of the draft-tongue 7 or at anA l other suitable point upon the machine in a f vance of said funnels a lurality of de# pending strands 39, of cor ro e, or other suitable flexible material. As c early shown in Figs. 1 and 5, these flexible strands depend from' the breast-pole40 on the front end of the tongue 39; but'they may be located and arranged in any other suitable manner. It will be seen that as the machine moves forwardly the\ ropes or cords 39 travel through the cotton-plants and knock o'if dead leaves, trash, and the like, said ropes bein stiff enou h for this purpose, but not st' enough to ook oil or injure the cotton. To more effectively remove the dead leaves and trash Aafter the same has been loosened, I preferably arrange on the Viront of the platorm 2 a rota fan 41, which directs its blast downwar y from' adownwardly and forwardly inclined outlet 42 on its casingv 43. The fan 41 Within this casin is xed u'pon a shaft 44, which carries a pu ey 45, 'adapted to be driven by a belt 46 from the engine or motor 15.

gln operation as the machine is drawn or propelled through vthe cottonfeld and over one or more rows of cotton-plants the cords 39 brush the plants and loosen the dry leaves and trash, so that the blast from the fan 41 and another one is applied to the spout or, 'discharge 35. Any number of sacks may be carried on the platform 2, and a sui-table surrounding frame or rail may he rovided on the lplat orrn to keep the sacks t ereon.

It will be observed that this machine isa great labor-saver and that the cotton may be rapidly picked or harvested at a comparatively small cost. Itl Will also be observed that the machine is of simple and comparatively inexpensive construction and very easy to handle and operate.

- Various changes in the form, proportion,

, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to Without'departing from the principle orsacricing-,allynof the advantages of this invention as de ed by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the character described,- a Wheeled support, a vacuum-chamber thereon having a'discharge at its rear end, an exhaust-fan in said chamber, o positely-disposed, transversely-swinging ames upon said support, flexible tubes depending from said support and in communication With said chamber, 'some of said tubes bein attached to said frames, unnels upon the ower ends of said tubes, a shaft, a crank-disk thereon, pit'man-rods connecting said crankdisk and 'said frames, and means for rotating vsaid shaft and the shaft of said fan.

'2. In a machine ofthe character described', a support adapted to be moved through. a cotton-field over rows of plants, flexible strands depending from said sup ort to travel through the cotton-plants andJ loosen the dead leaves` and trash, means for directing a blast of air throu h the cotton-plants to remove the loosened eaves and trash, and means for picking the cotton from the plants.

3. In a machine 1of the character described, a movablesupport, a vacuum-chamber thereon, a longitudlnally-yieldable frame pivoted to swing transversely upon said support, a flexible tube attached to said frame and in communication with said chamber, and a funnel carried by said tube.

4. Ina machine of the character described,

ag'wheeled support, a vacuum-chamber- IOO lIO

thereon, latervally-swinging frames, each coml' my hand in presence of two Subscribing Witp'ising 1oosely-pivoted` side bars, and a oonnesses. Y

n'ectmg-bar, pivoted to said side bars, flexi- I t v' ble tubes attached to said frames and in com- Y NATHANIEL M' 'HENDERSON' y 5 mup'oation with said chamber, and unnelis Witnes'ses:

carried by said tubes. J. B. OWEN, A v In testlmony whereof I have hereunto set A. C. ZoLLIEFFERs. 

